Texas Dog Hunters Association Live Hog Roundup

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Mike Marburger of Sinton and Larry Guerra with the HW Hamilton Ranch load another wild pig into the trailer for transport to the Texas Dog Hunters Association Live Hog Roundup in Halletsville.$RETURN$$RETURN$

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES American bulldogs is a popular breed among hog hunters. They’re used as catch dogs, a role that requires muscle and tenacity. Notice the Kevlar protective gear.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Brian Miller of Xtreme Hog Hunter Magazine prepares his dogs for the next chase.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES The chase begins. This one yielded two pigs and the largest hog of the morning. But it was a sloppy chase through a muddy slough.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Each dog is fitted with a satellite transmitter that tracks its whereabouts, distance, speed and direction of travel.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES A return from a rare dry run. Sometimes the wily pigs give dogs the slip. It occurred only once during our hunt. And eventually we caught the pig.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Catch dogs, like chase dogs, work in pairs. They learn to act as a team, which comes naturally as part of their breeding.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES That's the second pig of the morning, a hard fought capture made a little easier by Larry Guerra, who managed to maneuver the Polaris into the brush for loading.$RETURN$$RETURN$

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Once inside the trailer these wild hogs tend to calm down. Good thing. They had a long ride ahead of them.$RETURN$$RETURN$

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Alabama hunter Randy Brown with Xtreme Hog Hunter Magazine makes sure this pig is securely fastened in place for the short ride to the trailer.$RETURN$$RETURN$

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Between chases these American bulldogs are calm and relaxed. But when the alarm sounds, get out of their way.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES The Xtreme Hog Hunter team came all the way from Alabama and Georgia to compete in this year's Texas Dog Hunters Association Live Hog Roundup. They placed 18th in a field of 51 teams. The team's four pigs weighed 572 pounds.

Our first pig of the morning was far from our biggest. From left to right, that's Sam Lankford of Sinton, along with Brian Miller, Randy Brown and Terry Ratliff, publisher of Xtreme Hog Hunter Magazine out of Alabama.$RETURN$$RETURN$

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES Brian, Randy and Mike wrestle with our first pig of the morning and the second pig captured during the two-day hunt.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES This was the team's biggest pig of the morning. It pushed 200 pounds and was a handful to hogtie.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES This was one of those "which way did they go" moments. At this point the GPS indicated the chase dogs were nearly a mile away.

DAVID SIKES/CALLER-TIMES The armored protection used in hog hunting is a testament to the regard these hunters have for their dogs. Admittedly, this is not a genteel sport.